Why the Panthers-Cowboys matchup may come down to whoever has ball last

Two bad defenses could lead to a shootout on Sunday at Bank of America Stadium.

Dec 15, 2024; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young (9) looks to pass in the fourth quarter at Bank of America Stadium. / Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

The Carolina Panthers have not done too well in recent years against the Dallas Cowboys, losing each of their last three matchups and eight of the last 10 overall. This weekend's matchup offers an opportunity at least for starting quarterback Bryce Young to get back on track as he faces the worst defense in the NFL this season.

However, even if Young is able to get his passing game off the ground, he's likely going to have to do a lot of heavy lifting.

The Panthers might be much better than last season defensively but that bar was set extremely low and they're still on the lower end this year.

According to Steven Louis Goldstein at The Athletic, this one may come down to whichever team has the ball last.

"Dallas has gained and given up 6.1 yards per play, and accordingly, two of its first five games went to overtime. Carolina is coming off a 27-24 seesaw win versus the Miami Dolphins. Rico Dowdle, the Cowboys’ lead back in 2024, put up 206 yards for the Panthers last Sunday. Revenge game incoming? Two awful defenses — Carolina surrenders 5.6 yards per play — means the winner of this game might be whoever has the ball last."

Oct 5, 2025; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Carolina Panthers running back Rico Dowdle (5) with the ball as Miami Dolphins free safety Minkah Fitzpatrick (29) defends in the second quarter at Bank of America Stadium. / Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

This sounds about right - but there are two potential hiccups that could get in the way of the Panthers being able to keep up with the Cowboys on the scoreboard.

The first is Bryce Young's problematic starts to games which have become a bad habit this season. In multiple games he has turned the ball over on the team's first two possessions - which was also a problem early last year before he was benched.

Young obviously bares most of the responsibility for taking better care of the ball, but it's happened often enough that head coach Dave Canales also has to take a good share of the blame.

Whatever it is that's rattling Young on those early drives, Canales has to diagnose it and find a solution.

The other big potential problem is at right tackle, where it looks like Taylor Moton is going to sit out this week due to an elbow injury.

If Moton is out, Yosh Nijman is the likely next-man-up, which could be a problem. In his first start earlier this season at left tackle, Nijman allowed six pressures on Young.

If Nijman starts at right tackle against Dallas, Carolina will need him to perform better in pass protection, or else it's going to be tough for Young to hang with Prescott in what looks to be a high-scoring shootout.

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